Cell Sword

Much like [i]Liberation[/i] by the same developer this is a game that builds upon and requires genre knowledge to be fully appreciated. In this case we have a 6DOF shooter that removes the final bastion of spatial orientation that all descendants of [i]Descent[/i] agreed upon: walls and flat surfaces? No more! The result is a dizzying (in the good way) experience where the levels are half-organic places of abstract intestinal villi, blood cells, and other body stuff. Nothing too gross, but these are no deserted mines, clearly! Audiovisual presentation is positively HYPER, with a neverending onslaught of HUD messages and quickly changing mission objectives, a 174 BPM type over the top liquid funk soundtrack AND funny videos between missions. It's a LOT to take in! Now something more personal that I fully realized here while playing: What I like so much about [i]Forsaken[/i] and friends that they almost never make you kill sentient life. Usually you clear out security drones, all kinds of artificial intelligence gone rogue. Scrap. Yes, I have ethical qualms about killing even pig cops in [i]Duke Nukem 3D[/i]. I know, sorry. Shooting stuff is fun, but it's more fun when the stuff doe…

A very respectable and somewhat surreal 6DoF. Not as large or complex as Descent (I finished in under 2 hours on hard mode), but worth a look. Note that this does have first-person mode and those twisty Descent-like corridors, it's just not really apparent in the trailer. There's no automap, but levels are small enough that you generally shouldn't need one. Even though they're not large, I appreciate that they are hand-crafted rather than procedurally generated. There are some blemishes: my main complaints are occasionally glitchy or unclear graphics, only one weapon in your loadout at a time, and some large open rooms with many small enemies that take a while to clear. You will probably want to turn off the depth of field blur, as it is a pretty strong effect.

love this game, reminds me of a cross between innerspace if it was run by OCP.

The story feels like it’s straight out of an '80s sci-fi film. In a future where tiny drone-like organisms called “Rust” invade human bodies and destroy organs, powerful corporations turn to an unlikely solution. With video games now obsolete, gamers pilot miniature ships known as Scythes through the human body to combat the Rust. The game unfolds over several acts, encompassing 13 short missions. Storytelling is minimal, delivered only through brief messages before each mission. Multiple difficulty levels let you tailor the experience to your skill, including a casual mode where enemies are less threatening. However, progressing to the next act requires earning medals, which are awarded based on speed and performance, so you may need to replay missions to meet the requirement. Gameplay centers on navigating organic environments, veins, chambers, and compartments, lasting Rust enemies and racing to the exit. If you’ve played “six degrees of freedom” shooters, the movement will feel familiar: you can move in all directions and freely rotate your ship, similar to a first-person shooter with full spatial freedom. Thankfully, the shooting mechanics are modern and fluid, best control…

Once you've started entering patients, you may not want to ever come out!

I am well used to indy games and a fan of retro title. Cell Sword has awful depth of field and playability issues - cant see what I am doing ( graphic card up to date etc). Real shame - this appealed just looking at it.